So first of all this week my apologies for missing last week’s Friday Roundup.
Every year here in Taiwan where I live we of course have the Lunar New Year celebrations.
The actual date of those celebrations changes from year to year because it is all aligned with the Moon and not my usual calendar!
This year I was totally caught out and missed posting time altogether.
That’s enough about that… on with the show!
The 5 Principles of Cinematic Depth – Cinematography 101
First up let’s not get too caught up in the term “cinematic” for this one.
It is a term that kind of gets bandied about a lot without any real definition.
It is probably better to think in terms of “professional looking” instead.
One of the key points upon which that pro look rests is the concept of depth in the shots you are capturing.
The most common way to create depth is with the selection of lens focal length that you are using but let’s get real here!
Many of us are not shooting with any sort of equipment that would allow for various lenses to be used.
So in light of that other most common way to create depth is with lighting.
In the video below don’t get too caught up in the professional grade equipment being used.
Just take in the concepts being explained because most of them can be duplicated quite simply without the need for expensive stuff!
10 Camera Gear Buying Hacks to Save Money
You may have noticed if you have followed this blog for any amount of time that I don’t really “do” camera reviews or news or pretty much anything along that line.
This website is a one man show and that man can’t possibly keep up with all the latest and greatest in that area.
Besides, there are so many great places to get yourself some information on the subject.
If you want to know how to choose a camera for video then you can check this series of articles on… Choosing a Video Camera!
In the meantime the video below has some excellent tips on navigating your way through that maze of choices.
Organize Your Video Projects – Fast and Easy
First of all this video is a not very well hidden promotion for a Samsung SSD!
However the actual strategy shown in the video makes perfect sense and is a great idea for a number of reasons so let’s get into that.
Once you have spent even a little time making video projects it becomes very clear very fast that you are beginning to build up a frightening amount of data on your hard drive!
On top of that those video assets are going to be all over the place and if you don’t get it under control there will be tears well before bedtime!
So to handle that the idea of creating a new folder for every project makes a lot of sense.
There are probably two things I would add to what is already in the video.
The first of these is that after you have created the folder set shown, open your video editor and go into the preferences.
In there choose to save the “project file” in that same folder.
That way when you have completed the whole project that main folder will have everything you need to revisit the project should that become necessary later on.
Secondly to save space, instead of saving to another device or storage drive you could also just right click on the folder and choose to send it to a Compressed file and save that instead of the original.
Monitor Color Calibration for Video Creators – The Importance of Color Episode #2
This is Part Two of a series on the importance of color in video and covers the concept of having a well calibrated monitor to work with.
What you will notice with most video projects is that the way color appears on your monitor in your video editing software may be quite different when the same project is displayed after having been uploaded to something like YouTube.
Similarly your mobile device or TV may also show quite significant differences.
For professional video creators this is a vital point but even us amateurs can be well served by checking our own monitors.
There are resources all over the internet for how to go about calibrating a monitor so if you are getting noticeable differences then check those out.
How to Edit Videos with the YouTube Video Editor! (Updated)
This is an updated video from the guys at Primal Video on the recent changes and updates to the YouTube Video Editor.
It is worth taking a look at if you are uploading to YouTube because there are some handy features in there you can use.
Those features can be especially useful after you have done the heavy lifting in your video editing software.
Top Gimbal Tips and Tricks
Some great tips and ideas here for using a gimbal in your next shoot.
It covers some of the basics you should be getting in order before shooting all the way through to some unusual and creative ideas for getting the most out of a gimbal.
Cropping vs Zooming vs “Zooming with your feet”
Although this tutorial is presented from a strictly photographic viewpoint it provides a good explanation and demonstration of the differences between cropping vs. zooming or vice versa.
It applies even more so now because high resolution performance is accessible to many of us for video and shooting at 2K or 4K makes zooming a more viable option.
Let’s Talk About Filmora X
This is a Livestream by Daniel Batal that theoretically is about Filmora X and goes for 4:30… yes, you read that right. Four hours and thirty minutes!
If you are using Filmora then this is obviously a it of a gold mine for you because it covers a huge amount of stuff.
However if you are not using Filmora then you may want to grab a coffee and take a look at it anyway.
In the video Daniel covers an almost endless array of tips and tricks which will allow you to screw the absolute maximum out of whatever consumer level video editor you are using.
These days one of the main differences between consumer grade video editing software and fully professional software comes down to the number of steps it takes and the convenience of pulling off a particular effect or sequence.
For the pro’s it is a one or two step process.
For us at the bottom of the food chain it may take a bit more to get it done.
Either way it is a great video resource to check out.
How to Make Split Screen Videos – Filmora X Tutorial
Split screen is hardly rocket surgery these days but like most established effects, it how you apply it rather then just the effect itself.
Check out the video from the guys at Filmora for some ideas and inspiration to make your own split screen projects.
How to Make Neon Dance Effects – Filmora X Tutorial
Warning! Cheesy effect approaching!
OK, let’s get real here. The right effect in the right setting can dramatically add to any project.
However the wrong effect or an effect done “just because you can” can result in some unforgettable moments… and not in a good way!
Use this with caution.
How to Make a Custom Subscribe Button Animation – Filmora X!
Not really all that much to say about this tutorial from the guys at Filmora. It does exactly what it says on the box!
How to Create High Quality Voice Overs
This is a demo and tutorial done in PowerDirector but in reality the audio features of most video editing software is pretty much identical.
Of course any of the computer settings outside of the software itself will of course be universal.
Just about everything shown in the video applies to any software that allows for voice over recording.
PowerDirector – Use Precut with the Multicam Designer
This is a strictly PowerDirector specific tutorial so if you are not using PD then you can probably skip it.
The video demonstrates the very efficient workflow you can achieve within PowerDirector by using the precut tool to do overall rough trimming.
You can then move to the Multicam tool to switch from clip to clip rather then load it all on to the timeline and futze about with it there.
14 Simple Shortcuts to Edit Video Faster – CyberLink PowerDirector
First up let’s address the elephant in the room.
Editing videos more often than not is a long, tedious and time consuming activity.
It’s only at the end, when you have that final product does it all seem worthwhile!
So it makes sense that as an editor you should try to reduce the pain as much as possible so you can get to the good part at the end faster.
In my experience there are two key ways that most new editors fall down and inflict further pain upon themselves.
The first is a failure to get organized before beginning to edit.
The second is a failure to learn and use keyboard shortcuts in their workflow.
This is a PowerDirector tutorial although most of the shortcuts mentioned will probably be the same or very similar in other video editing software.
How to Make YouTube Thumbnails in Resolve
One of the most important points you need to get right on YouTube these days is the thumbnail.
Those wacky humans just love them some pictures and if you are competing for that click… the pictures make a huge difference.
Here’s how to make a good looking thumbnail in DaVinci Resolve.
Day for Night Color Correction in Resolve 17
If you have ever tried to make a day shot look like a night shot by just making the whole thing darker you would have noticed one glaring problem.
That problem is that the shot now looks like garbage!
Whilst making it darker in your color correction tools is a good start it takes a few more steps to really “sell” the effect.
Check it out in the videos below done in DaVinci Resolve but any software with decent color correction can do it.
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